The invention has been developed primarily for use in the construction of dwelling houses and will be described with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use and may be used, for example, in the construction of other buildings.
The core used for light weight panels is often made from foamed plastics material, such as polystyrene foam, and frequently includes suitable fire retardant additives. However, such foamed plastics materials are expensive and of limited strength, and often rely upon cladding or a coating to impart strength to the panel. Sometimes composite panels have a metal cladding which increases their cost. Metal clad panels may also be difficult to cut to size, especially on a house constructions site.
The present invention aims to ameliorate one or more of the above problems or at least provide an alternative composite wall panel and a core material therefor for use in building construction. Other aims and advantages may become apparent from the following description.